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Thesis/research practice opportunity - Modelling maize-legumes crop rotation in smallholder farming systems
Description
The FARMSIM (FArm-scale Resource Management SIMulator) crop-livestock model is a dynamic model that integrates key components of African smallholder farming systems in interconnected sub-models: (i) crop and soil, (ii) livestock (NUANCES-LIVSIM), and (iii) manure handling and storage. The model was built to explore farmers’ management strategies at the scale of the farm and to study their impacts on long-term productivity and soil fertility.
Simulation models such as FARMSIM can be useful for exploring the barriers and entry points to crop diversification with legumes, provided the mechanisms underlying the transfer of nutrients are well represented. Crop rotation involving cereals and legumes involve flow of nutrients from one growing season to another, from crop residues left on the field, but also fertilizer and manure application. Accurately quantifying these flows and their impact on grain yield is required for assessing the potential benefits of crop rotation on soil fertility. However, their application in FARMSIM needs to be tested, and the model calibrated with up-to-date data for its application in various farming systems settings where crop rotation may be studied.
Type of work
Desk study: 1) Calibration of maize and legumes crop yields in response to selected management practices 2) Exploratory modelling with FARMSIM of various management practices retrieved from the literature. 3) Analysis of simulation results..
Prerequisites
Background in soil science, agronomy, or related fields
Previous programming experience is advised, but not absolutely necessary if a student is willing to learn programming skills: the FARMSIM model is implemented in Python, data analysis can be performed in Python, or R.
Location
Plant Production Systems department (Radix Nova)
Period
Flexible (6 months for an MSc Thesis, minimum 4 months for a research practice)